Thursday, November 18, 2010

Coming less than a week after the announcement that GM's Chevy brand has joined Honda in providing engines to 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series competitors, Lotus has jumped on board as well.

Announced today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Lotus' deal with INDYCAR pushes the number of engine manufacturers in the series back up to three for the first time since 2005, when Honda, Chevy, and Toyota all competed. "I'm loving these days", said INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard, referencing the past week of announcements for the league.

In addition to announcing their intent to build an engine, Lotus also declared that they'll be developing an aero kit as well. "We don't just want to put a sticker on the car", said Lotus CEO Dany Bahar "This is where we want to be". Lotus adds their name to the list of Chevy and Dallara who have also announced their intent to develop an aero kit for 2012 season.

Lotus returned to Indianapolis for the first time in years this past season with the sponsorship of KV Racing Technology and the #5 Takuma Sato entry. They're expected to return next season with an expanded sponsorship with KVRT.